Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. In navies, it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank. Lieutenant, Leutnant or Leftenant? - narkive How about left-renter? The rare Old French variant spelling leuf for Modern French lieu ('place') supports the suggestion that a final [u] of the Old French word was in certain environments perceived as an [f]. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant with an F? Weve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or havent managed to get the point across? How is Lieutenant pronounced in Canada? This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word colonnello to the word coronel. Armchairlinguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: heres a selection for your interest and entertainment , Because its the correct pronunciation. Nomad, London, England, The Brits are weird jon, cambria, United States, So we have the profound and highly informative answer from an American, he says: The Brits are weird. The pronunciation of zebra in English varies between British English and American English. Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant as leftenant? The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. Don Draper is a grammar nerd Be still, our writerly hearts. An example of an exception is the United States, whose armed forces distinguish their lieutenant ranks with a silver bar for first lieutenant and brass bar for second lieutenant. [94] Throughout the 19th century and until as late as World War II[95] the United States Army sometimes referred to brevet second lieutenants as "third lieutenants". In England (and her colonies, except for America of course) it is pronounced "leftentant" because it is bastardization of the French pronunciation, which has that ever-so-French, back of the mouth, oooggff sound at the end of the first syllable. I always suspected--and I have never seen anything to back this up--that this pronunciation was adopted because "lootenant", as the Americans pronounce it, sounds like "Loo-tenant," i.e., "individual occupying the loo (toilet)." Many people say us but if they are writing will use the word me. [2] The early history of the pronunciation is unclear; Middle English spellings suggest that both pronunciations may have existed even then. The British pronunciation of the French word lieutenant (as lef-tenant) is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of loo-tenant (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military. 3 yr. ago. Think of LanguageTool as the colonel of all text editors. :) Mike, Washington DC, US, To read the more informative answers (including ahypothesis offered by Sean from Colorado that in British slang, of which he observes there is a great deal, the word loo refers to a toilet, and therefore he assumesthat they do not want to give the impression that a leftenant is a resident of a toilet, as in loo-tenant), read the full piece at The Guardians website . The lieu in this word means place (think of in lieu of), and the tenant means holding, like holding a position. The two parts together referred to a placeholder for a superior. Today, the words definition and pronunciation differs depending on the country (and its military). Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? By far the most logical, understandable and concise answer Ive ever seen thank you. Colonel confuses people because its pronounced like kernel /krnl/, but theres no R in it. The first L in the original Italian word colonello was changed to an R by the French. So maybe they encouraged the alternate pronunciation to keep rank and file soldiers from making a joke of their superiors' title? Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. The Oxford Dictionary suggests that it might be because at some point, the "u" in the French word "lieu" was pronounced as a "v" (which was not uncommon in French given the derivation from the Latin "v" for many "u"s). In the Finnish military there is a senior lieutenant grade that ranks above lieutenant and second lieutenant but below captain; it does not have an English equivalent. Why do Canadians pronounce 'Lieutenant' as 'Leftenant,' and - Quora Infographic : Using Cognitive Functions To Unlock the ENFP Personality Types Unique Gifts , Creative Advertising : Showcase and discover creative work on the world's leading online platform f. Lieutenant literally means place-holding, or the one who is left in place of the true authority; thus, the one who is left tenant (holding) the authority. Well explore what these words mean and provide example sentences. I always suspected--and I have never seen anything to back this up--that this pronunciation was adopted because "lootenant", as the Americans pronounce it, sounds like "Loo-tenant," i.e., "individual occupying the loo (toilet)." What Town Is The Cheapest To Live In New Hampshire. Glossophilia. This pattern was copied by the United States Navy and various Air Forces for their equivalent ranks grades, except that the loop is removed (see flight lieutenant). "Because it's the correct pronunciation.". Press J to jump to the feed. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. The word arrived in English from French in 1375 and within 100 years the English were pronouncing it left-tenant as if there were a right-tenant as well. Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains. For more information, please see our in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens). it's not. La Reynie was the deputy for policing duties of the Provost of Paris, the ceremonial representative of the King in Paris. Later, when the drive by the English to rid the language of french words began, they modified the word to try to match their pronunciation and made it leftenant. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. In short, English borrowed the word from French, which borrowed it from Italian. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a petty officer. Reference questions answered here. It is functionally equivalent to third lieutenant. why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant - vidasproductivas.org In the UK zebra is pronounced as zeh-bruh, with a short e, so without the ee sound. Hear the pronunciation of the word on its own and in example sentences. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Kyoto2.org a person appointed to carry out a task). The word, lieutenant is a French word, as are most military ranks. In the army it is pronounced as leftenant, but in navy they use lootenant. Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank. Some parts of the British Army, including the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and fusilier regiments, used first lieutenant as well as second lieutenant until the end of the 19th century, and some British Army regiments still preserve cornet as an official alternative to second lieutenant. "The Brits are weird" jon, cambria, United . Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Profound-Advice What is the difference between a lieutenant and a lieu? The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables. Zero is a little bit longer to pronounce, hence the oh. Why is Colonel pronounced kernel? It was spelled both clark and clerk. In the British Army and in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, a second lieutenant is the lowest ranking commissioned officer. 94-84", "i gradi dell'Esercito Italiano - distintivi di incarico e funzionali", " , ", " , ", "LOI N 96-029 portant Statut Gnral des Militaires", "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armes du Mali", "Manual grfico para el uso de Uniformes, Divisas y Equipo del Ejrcito y F.A.M. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. "Leftenant" (or "leften't") is merely. The first French Lieutenant of Police, Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, was appointed in Paris by Louis XIV on 15 March 1667 to command a reformed police force. The insignia of a lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy,[92] consists of two medium gold braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a navy blue or black background. . Learn how to pronounce \"lieutenant\" in British English and American English. [2] Why do British people say Zed? Anglophones have difficulty pronouncing it as the French do so it drifts either to "lettenant" or "lootenant." Both pronunciations existed in Britain and its colonies prior to the American Revolution. The United States Marine Corps and British Royal Marines[88] both use army ranks, while many former Eastern-Bloc marine forces retain the naval form[clarification needed]. The Salvation Army also uses lieutenant to denote first time officers, or clergymen/women. This spelling was to stick to the pronunciation, and not the opposite, as there is not lefttenant in old French. . Havent you got a chat show you can go off and whoop woo at or something? Tel McCormack, Rochdale, UK, Because thats what it should be called. Sounding it out may help, al-loo-MIN-ee-um Theres a second i in the British form of the word, aluminium, hence the extra syllable. Armchair linguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: here's a selection for your interest and entertainment . Privacy Policy. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. How Many Classes The Article Are Divided Into In English? CLTs may be promoted to the rank of senior cadet lieutenant (S/CLT), which has a rank insignia of a pip and two bars below it.[100]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Reason for different pronunciations of "lieutenant" It is possible that when the English heard the French pronounce the compound word lieutenant, they perceived a slurring which they heard as a v or f sound between the first and second syllables. Its English our language. To do this automatically simply make a comment that says !answered (OP only). Leftenant in the British army, Lootenant in the American army. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth . Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as 'leftenant'? Because the word clerk was pronounced with (r) rather than (r) in the south of England, the vowels in the word did not become (r). For example, a "lieutenant master" is likely to be second-in-command to the "master" in an organisation using both ranks. In the Royal Navy, the commissioned rank of mate was created in 1840, and was renamed sub-lieutenant in 1860. Don't overpay for pet insurance. What Does Crossing The Burning Sands Mean? Its simply an attempt for English speakers to pronunce French phonemes, I dont believe theres an additional reason. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. It is pronounced "loo-tenant". Lieutenants either command a watch (8-hour "shift") of regular officers or a special unit for operations or investigations (like a Robbery-Homicide squad). In the US however, the word is pronounced as 'Lew-tenant', much to British distaste. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger. The word arrived in English from French in 1375 and within 100 years the English were pronouncing it left-tenant as if there were a right-tenant as well. The title of Third Lieutenant, essentially equal to the rank of ensign, existed until 1915 when the Service became the nucleus of the new United States Coast Guard. What percentage of recruits fail boot camp? The British pronunciation of the French word "lieutenant" (as "lef-tenant") is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of "loo-tenant" (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military. The British rank is "lieutenant" and is spelled the same as. No idea whether any of this is true, just telling you what I have heard and from whom I heard it. . In British English, it is mostly used as a sign of repect for a woman of superior rank, say, in the military or police. This is the reason why colonel is pronounced kernel. In the US, zebra is pronounced as zee-bruh, so with a long e. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead. ! Peter Charles, London, England, My fellow Brits cynical intolerance for Americans makes me ashamed to be British. For example: Lieutenant (commissioned officer in the armed forces, police, or other organization) is also derived from French. The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. [3] The majority of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources show pronunciations with /v/ or /f/, but Bullokar has /liu/.[4]. Who sings the song in the new Facebook commercial. Phonemic changes due to considerations like the above are actually quite rare, so take that caveat too. In the United Kingdom, a lord lieutenant is the sovereign's representative in a county or lieutenancy area, while a deputy lieutenant is one of the lord lieutenant's deputies. In smaller ships with only a single deck division, the billet is typically filled by an ensign while in larger ships with a deck department, consisting of multiple subordinate divisions, the billet may be filled by a lieutenant commander. Learn how to pronounce "lieutenant" in British English and American English. For the bridge, see, United Kingdom and Commonwealth police forces, Report of the Committee of Inquiry on the Police, 1978, " ", "Azrbaycan Respublikas Silahl Qvvlri hrbi qulluqularnn hrbi geyim formas v frqlndirm nianlar haqqnda sasnam", " 21.07.2009 N 388 " , 9 2006 . N 383", Ministry of Defense (Bolivia) [@mindefbolivia], "Conoce la jerarqua de los grados del #Ejrcito", "Akta angkatan bersenjata diraja Brunei (Penggal 149)", " ", "LOI N 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES", "Loi organique N1/ 04 du 20 fvrier 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Dfense Nationale du Burundi", "Ttulo VI, Captulo II de la Ley Constitutiva de las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, Decreto No. It's believed that at some time before the 19th century, the British read and pronounced the "U" at the end of "lieu" as a "V" and the "V" later became an "F". By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. (Examples : lieutenant governor, police lieutenant, lieutenant general. Do the British say leftenant or lieutenant? Instantly enhance your writing in real-time while you type.With LanguageTool, The unusual spelling of these words has to do with their origin. How do I enable in-stream ads on Facebook? But when translating Italian military treaties into English, 16th century scholars started spelling it colonel, similarly to how Italians originally spelled it. How do Brits pronounce it? In most cases, newly commissioned officers do not remain at the rank for long before being promoted, and both university graduates and officers commissioned from the ranks may skip the rank altogether. Why and when did 'I will' replace 'I shall' in British English? and our New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. John. As a given-name, St. What School Is Called The Harvard Of The West? As the rank structure of navies stabilized, and the ranks of commander, lieutenant commander and sub-lieutenant were introduced, the naval lieutenant came to rank with an army captain (NATO OF-2 or US O-3). The pronunciation being very difficult for English speaker. Historically the lieutenants in a ship were ranked in accordance with seniority, with the most senior being termed the "first lieutenant" and acting as the second-in-command. Learn about the etymology of Lieutenant as well as Colonel.. Assistant Superintendent(Bangladesh Police), Assistant Superintendent(Indian Police Service), Police Lieutenant(Philippine National Police), Police Lieutenant(National Police of Ukraine), US Police 2nd Lieutenant(Police ranks of the United States), US Police 1st Lieutenant(Police ranks of the United States), In the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the rank of lieutenant (LTA) is the second-lowest commissioned rank.
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